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The Stan Freberg Show (CBS Radio)

Usage: Public Domain

Topics: stan, freberg, comedy, radio, old time radio, daws butler, june foray,

Item Size: 107.3M

The Stan Freberg Show was a weekly radio comedy show that ran on the CBS Radio Network for only fifteen episodes in 1957–58. The show, starring comedian Stan Freberg and featuring the vocal talents of Daws Butler, June Foray, and Peter Leeds and the musical direction of Billy May, ran in the 7 p.m. timeslot previously occupied by The Jack Benny Program. The show was produced by Pete Barnum with sound effects by Bill James and Gene Twombly.

Despite its short run, the show managed to develop some running gags and stock jokes, from Freberg's ambivalence toward Madison Avenue (faux advertisements for "Puffed Grass" and "Food", as well as the classic sketch "Gray Flannel Hatful of Teenage Werewolves") to the overwhelmingly popular interviews with a sneaker-wearing Abominable Snowman.

By the thirteenth episode, it was clear that The Stan Freberg Show was suffering from a lack of advertiser interest (perhaps helped by Freberg's werewolf comparisons). CBS canceled the series after fifteen episodes; according to Joe Bevilacqua, it was the last American network radio show to devote itself purely to comedy.

Notes

The source of these files is not the best. They were converted from low-quality compressed audio files into mp3 for convenience. There are slightly better mp3 versions available online, but are not for free (Episode #5 is an example of these other sources). These versions are extremely listenable, and serve as a way for those to hear them without dealing with FTP servers, slow download speeds or other hassles.

If you wish to obtain better-quality copies of the program, visit any of the OTR sites that require payment for downloads, or on MP3 disc. They might be the same quality as these, they might not.